Device for hulling and polishing cereals and podded grains



1.6, 1936. KASPAR, sR.. ET AL 2,044,531

DEVICE FOR HULLING AND POLISHING CEREALS AND PODDED GRAINS Filed Aug. 10, 1952 2 Sheeis-Sheet 1 pair/14.!

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e 16, 1936. KASPAR, 5R" Er AL 2,4,531

DEVICE FOR HULLING AND POLISHING CEREALS AND PODDED GRAINS Filed Aug. 10, 1952 2y Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 16, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DEVICE FOR HULLING AND POLISHING CEREALS AND PODDED GRAINS Application August 10, 1932, Serial No. 628,232 In Czechoslovakia August 12, 1931 6 Claims.

This invention relates to devices for hulling and polishing cereals and podded grains of any kind.

Devices for this purpose are known in various forms, whereby the heaters consist of individual beater elements that are independently rotatably mounted on their bearing shafts and the beater elements being enabled to move close to the hulling mantle. With these known devices the beater elements are all of the same length thus rendering a ready comminution of clogged portions that may arise in the flow of stock passing through the device impossible.

According to the present invention this disadvantage is eliminated in the device by either interrupting the continuous row of beater elements arranged side by side on the whole or a part of the length of the elements or constructing the beater elements as rings loosely mounted on the traverses.

With a first constructional form the beater elements are rod or strip-shaped and the elements or their shanks respectively are made in difierent lengths and bent up in different directions. With this arrangement is attained that the lumps of grain formed in the stock can pass on not only between the ends of the shanks and the hulling mantle but also between the shanks of adjacent beater elements. The weight and the shape of the shanks is so chosen that the passage of an undesired amount of stock between the ends of the shanks and the hulling screen is prevented.

0n the other hand this arrangement permits of preventing the individual shanks of rubbing each other and thus causing additional wear. For this purpose the eyelet portion of the individual beater elements may be made somewhat larger than the shank itself in consequence whereof only the enlarged eyelet portions can touch each other but not the shanks. Furthermore, this enlarged form for the eyelets enables providing an aperture through which the dust from the hulling operation can be forced out of the device whereby the wear on the interior edge of the eyelets as well as on the traverse is reduced.

If the shanks are formed in strips instead of rods the fan action of the beater drum may be increased. Moreover, this strip-shaped construction permits of disposing the shank in oblique relationship to the eyelet. Depending on the directlon in which the shank is inclined either towards or away from the flow of stock, i. e. depending whether the indlvidual beater elements or entire rows of elements respectively are obliquely disposed relatively to each other in one or the other direction the speed at which the flow of stock is passing through can be accelerated or retarded. In this manner influencing the hulling operation is rendered possible within certain limits.

With sorts of grain which require to be particularly pointed the shanks of the beater elements may be curved instead of being made rectilinear which provides for a desired working surface for abrading the stock which assists in turning the grains and thereby favorably influences the pointing operation. The curved portion of the shanks may be so extended as to form a closed ring or an eyelet respectively so as to provide a second constructional form for the beater elements.

This second constructional form also has the advantage inherent thereto that during the rotation of the beater these rings turn a. great number of times about their own axes thus confronting the cereals time and again with a difierent portion of their outer circumference, so that the wear is uniformly distributed over all the portions and consequently the life of the element substantially increased. Also the wear on the inner surface of the ring due to the ring bearing on the traverse is rendered uniform the entire interior circumference of the ring being successively entering in bearing engagement for suspension purposes. Not the-least advantage of beater elements of this form is that the pressure of the cereals is not only resiliently counteracted in an oblique I but also in the radial direction which enables an accurately uniform pressure exertion on the respective depth of the flow of stock passing through the machine.

The beater elements of the second constructiona1 example may be of circular, elliptical or polygonal form and also their cross section may be round, oval or polygonal-shaped, the same as in the case of the elements of the first constructional form.

In the accompanying drawings various constructional forms of the invention are illustrated in which Fig. 1 is a part section of a hulling device;

Figs. 2 to 6 show different forms of beater elements, particularly in the Figs. 2 and 6 curved elements and in the Figs. 3, 4, and 5 rectilinear elements are shown;

Figs. '7 to 11 represent the plan views of the Figs. 2 to 6;

Figs. 12 to 15 show different constructional forms of beater elements comprising rectilinear shanks which are bent in the lateral direction;

Figs. 16 to 19 depict the top views of the Figs. 12 to 15, whereas Fig. 20 is a common side elevation of all these forms of the elements,

Figs. 21 and 22 show a side and a front elevation respectively of a strip-shaped beater element,

Figs. 23 and 24 are similar views to the Figs. 22 and 21 but with the eyelet portion reinforced.

Fig. 26 is a plan view of Fig. 24 for a rectangular shank, whereas the Figs. 25 and 27 are modified plan views of strip-shaped elements with a square and an oval shank respectively;

Figs. 28 to 31 are top views of beaters comprising strip-shaped elements the plane of the strips being either parallel to the-direction of flow of stock (Fig. 28) or obliquely disposed thereto (Figs. 29 to 31) Fig. 32 is a part section of a hulling machine comprising ring-shaped beater elements, and

Fig. 33 is a radial section of Fig. 32.

Referring to the drawings, with the first constructional form of the beater elements as per the Figs. 1, 2, and 7 each individual beater element is formed as a tongue I made of wire and comprising an eyelet 2 by means of which the elements are mounted side by side on the traverse 3 of the hulling machine. The traverses are connected to the gyrating arms 4. The hulling mantle is designated by 5 and the end wall of the hulling device by 6. The shanks of the tongueshaped beater elements are slightly curved, as will be seen in Fig. 2, and the length of adjacent elements varies in such manner that each time a shorter element I follows a longer element I (Fig. 1). With this arrangement is attained that the grains to be hulled are adapted to pass also through the beater in which manner lump formations in the stock are more quickly reduced to grains.

With the constructional form of the elements illustrated in the Figs. 3 and 8 the general arrangement is similar except that the shanks I and I respectively of unequal lengths are rectilinear. In the Figs. 4 and 9 an arrangement is shown which is similar to that of Fig. 3 except that with the successive elements the shorter shanks I are forwardly disposed and the'longer shanks I rearwardly. The constructional form as per the Figs. 5 and 10 provides two elements of the kind combined in one unit the elements being bent from a single piece of wire with the eyelet 8 in the form of a completely closed loop.

The constructional form illustrated in the Figs. 6 and 11 corresponds to the preceding form except that the shanks I and I are similarly bent as shown in Fig. 2.

With a further series of possible constructional forms each element is provided with two shanks which are bent in the lateral direction. In the Figs. 12 and 16 the two shanks 9 and ID of the beater element are of equal length and bent up at equal angles from the middle plane. The related eyelet II by means of which the elements are mounted on the traverse 3 is closed for three quarters of its circumference. The constructional form shown in the Figs. 13 and 17 is similar to the preceding one except that one shank I2 is shorter than the other I3.

The constructional form as per the Figs. 14 and 18 is provided with shanks I4 and I5 of unequal lengths the shorter shank I5 deviating more from the middle position than the longer shank I4.

The constructional form shown in the Figs.

and 19 is provided with similar beater elements but slid on the traverse 3 in reversed position.

In the stead of these tongue-shaped beater elements made of wire flat or strip-shaped elements may be used as shown in the Figs. 21 and 22. Any suitable constructional material can be employed for this form such as sheet metal, rubber, leather and the like. In order to prevent these strip-shaped and also tongue-shaped elements from rubbing each other at the sides the eyelets may be enlarged which will be seen in the Figs. 23 and 24. At eachside of the strip I6 an eyelet I! and I8 respectively is arranged to project slightly beyond the strip. When these strips are laid side by side these eyelets bear against each other thus spacing the strips a certain distance apart. The cross section of the strips I6 may be square, as shown in Fig. 25, or rectangular, (Fig. 26) or oval (Fig. 27).

The Fig. 28 illustrates how such strip-shaped beater elements can be mounted side by side on two succeeding traverses 3. With this constructional form the planes of the individual strips I8 are parallel to the direction of flow of the stock travelling through the machine.

In the constructional form shown in the Fig. 29 the beater elements I6 arranged on a traverse 3 are obliquely disposed to the direction of the afliuent stock thus contributing to convey the stock towards the exit. The heater members on the correlated traverse 3 are parallel disposed to the flow of stock. Rows with obliquely and parallel disposed elements are alternatively provided.

With the constructional form as per Fig. 30 the one row is provided with elements obliquely disposed in the other direction.

With the constructional form illustrated in Fig. 3I' both rows are obliquely disposed but in opposite directions. With the aid of these different arrangements the hulling operation can be influenced in many different ways by accelerating or retarding the flow of stock whereby the hulling effect is adaptable to the prevailing conditions at will.

With the constructional form shown in the Figs. 32 and 33 the beater elements are constructed as individual rings. On the arms b connected to the shaft a the ring segments 0 are arranged to which the traverses d for carrying the individual beater elements are fixed. These beater elements are in the form of circular rings e of a substantially larger diameter than the cross section of the traverse thus adapting the rings to freely move in all directions. The hulling mantle is designated by f and the side walls by h.

During the rotation of the shaft a in the direction of the arrow the rings 6 by action of centrifugal force assume a position as shown in Fig. 32 in which they act on the annular flow of stock passing through the drum between them and the abrading or hulling mantle I. When the flow of stock is of different depth at the different places thereof the rings are enabled to yield as shown in chain dotted lines at 9 so as to adapt themselves to the respective depth of flow. As thereby successively fresh portions of the exterior circumference of the rings contact with the cereals the wear on the rings is perfectly uniform. On

the other hand also the portions by which the F rings are bearing on the traverses d change continually so that also the wear on the exterior circumference of the ring is uniform thus ensuring a long life for the rings. The rings may be of a round, oval or rectangular cross section and the outer form of the rings may be circular, oval, triangular or polygonal with any number of corners. Any suitable material can be employed for the construction of the rings.

We do not limit ourselves to the particular size, shape, number or arrangement of parts as shown and described, all of which may be varied without going beyond the scope of our invention as shown, described and claimed.

What we claim is:

1. In a device for husking and polishing cereals and podded grains, in combination, a horizontal cylinder having an interior treatment surface for the grains, a drum rotatable relative to said treatment surface, traverses carried circumferentially of said drum in parallel relation with the axis thereof, a plurality of narrow flattened beater elements for cooperation with said treatment surface mounted side by side on each traverse and adapted to revolve freely about said traverses, shanks of different lengths provided for alternate beater elements at any desired point of the length of said traverses, the shorter shanks forming interruption between the longer shanks for the reduction of lumps of grain, some of said flattened beater elements having their planes extending substantially parallel to the traverses, the working portions of the beater elements arranged on one and the same traverse forming collectively a yieldable row in which each element serves to work independent grains and some of said elements having their flattened faces disposed so as to impart to said grains a feed impulse axially of said cylinder independently of the other elements.

2. In a device for husking and polishing cereals and podded grains, in combination, a horizontal cylinder having an interior treatment surface for the grains, a drum rotatable relative to said treatment surface, traverses carried circumferentially of said drum in parallel relation with the axis thereof, a plurality of narrow flattened beater elements for cooperation with said treatment surface mounted side by side on each traverse and adapted to revolve freely about traverses, each beater element having a hub for free rotation on the respective traverse and a shank in offset relationship to said hub, some of said elements having their planes extending substantially parallel to the traverses, the working portions of the beater elements arranged on one and the same traverse forming collectively a yieldable row in which each element serves to work individual grains and some of said elements having their flattened faces disposed so as to impart to said grains a feed impulse axially of said cylinder independently of the other elements.

3. In a device for husking and polishing cereals and podded grains, in combination, a horizontal cylinder having an interior treatment surface for the grains, a drum rotatable relative to said treatment surface, traverses carried circumferentially of said drum in substantially parallel relation with the axis thereof, a plurality of beater elements for cooperation with said treatment surface mounted side by side on each traverse and adapted to revolve freely about said traverses, each beater element having a hub for free rotation on the respective traverse and a pair of shanks in offset relationship to said common hub and directed forwardly or rearwardly as regards the direction of rotation of said drum, the shanks of occasional beater elements being of different lengths, and working portions on said shanks of a, width substantially equal to the length of a grain of the material under treatment, the working portions of the beater elements arranged on one and the same traverse forming collectively a yieldable row and each element being adapted to work grains of different size independently of the other elements.

4. In a device for husking and polishing cereals and podded grains, in combination, a horizontal cylinder having an interior treatment surface for the grains, a drum rotatable relative to said treatment surface, traverses carried circumferentially of said drum in substantially parallel relation with the axis thereof, a plurality of beater elements for cooperation with said treatment surface mounted side by side on each traverse and adapted to revolve freely about said traverses, each beater element having a hub for free rotation on the respective traverse and a pair of shanks in offset relationship to said common hub and directed forwardly or rearwardly as regards the direction of rotation of said drum with the two shanks of each pair bent sidewardly, the shanks of occasional beater elements being of different lengths, and working portions of said shanks of a width substantially equal to the length of a grain of the material under treatment, the working portions of the beater elements arranged on one and the same traverse forming collectively a yieldable row and each element being adapted to Work grains of different size independently of the other elements.

5. In a device for husking and polishing cereals and podded grains, in combination, a horizontal cylinder having an interior treatment surface for the grains, a drum rotatable relative to said treatment surface, traverses carried circumferentially of said drum in parallel relation with the axis thereof, a plurality of narrow flattened beater elements for cooperation with said treatment surface mounted side by side on each traverse and adapted to revolve freely about said traverses, each beater element having a flat shank with its plane obliquely disposed to the axial direction of said cylinder the working portions of the beater elements arranged on one and the same traverse forming collectively a yieldable row and each element being adapted to work individual grains and to impart to said grains a feed impulse by effect of the obliquely disposed shank indepenclr ently of the other elements.

6. In a device for husking and polishing cereals and podded grains, in combination, a horizontal cylinder having an interior treatment surface for the grains, a drum rotatable relative to said treatment surface, traverses carried circumferwith its plane obliquely disposed to the axial di- LEOPOLD KASPAR, SEN. NIKOLAUS KISTNER. 

